Media Guidance

IntroductionThe following are guidelines for parents; please discuss with your Kindergarten Teacher, Class Teacher or Upper School Sponsor if you have any questions. Your teacher will be engaging with their respective parent communities during the next term, to explore the ‘why’ behind these guidelines. We hope that this will help you to feel empowered to take responsibility of how you manage screen use at home.

​Why now?Screen Based Media (SBM) use has come up recently, in all departments, and is an alive topic for conversations in the various teachers’ meetings. This has been, in part, due to requests from within the parent community asking for us to give guidance to help clearly state the schools view, and in part due to experiences teachers are having in our classrooms. We have discussed what we feel is appropriate guidance, and outlined this below.

Can I read anything to further my understanding?Yes. At the end of this document are a variety of websites which may be of interest. There is a recent piece of research which has explored the impact of screen use on young people, which may be of particular interest. It’s entitled ‘Screened Out’. It is a 40 page document, but the ‘Executive Summary’ on pages 3 and 4, gives an outline of its main findings.

Jonathan Hobbs, on behalf of Collegiate7th February 2016

FOR ALL PARENTSPlease read and share these guidelines with grandparents, God parents, and other present buyers or carers.Please respect these guidelines on play dates.

Early Years (ages 3 -6)No screen entertainment for children in the Early Years.Help model this behaviour for your children by not using your screen(s) in front of them.

Lower School Classes 1 – 3 (ages 7 – 9)Ideally no screen entertainment.No screens on play dates.However, if your child is going to watch then:Do not use during the school week.No unsupervised watching; make sure you are with your child when they watch.Do not allow use of phones, tablets, or other portable screen based media.No screens in bedrooms; watch in communal areas only.Watch good quality, wholesome programmes, which you have pre-selected.Watch DVD’s, or preloaded episodes to avoid exposure to adverts.Watch real things; wildlife documentaries, real people doing real things.Films certificate U or PG, judging what you feel is appropriate for your child.No 12A. These are suitable for 12 years and above. “When BBFC Examiners recommend a film should be a 12A this means they think it is suitable for children aged 12 and over.” (http://www.cbbfc.co.uk/what-we-do/why-do-we-have-12a, 7th February 2016).

Lower School Classes 4 – 5 (ages 10 – 11)No unsupervised screen entertainment.No screens on play dates.Preferably no screen time during the school week.Watch with your child, in a communal family area.No screens in bedrooms.No tablets, phones or other portable screen based media.Access to internet only through communal family computer.Watch good quality, wholesome programmes, which you have pre-selected.Watch DVD’s, or preloaded episodes to avoid exposure to adverts.Films certificate U or PG if you agree to them.No 12A until 12*. These are suitable for 12 years and above. “When BBFC Examiners recommend a film should be a 12A this means they think it is suitable for children aged 12 and over.” (http://www.cbbfc.co.uk/what-we-do/why-do-we-have-12a, 7th February 2016).*Use your judgement for your child. Are they ready for the content? Visit the British Board of Film Classification Website for more guidance, (http://www.cbbfc.co.uk/12).Restrict computer use to purposeful and meaningful tasks.Restrict available content by using parental controls, accessed through your internet service provider (ISP).

Lower School Classes 6 - 8 (ages 12 – 14)Ensure screen entertainment is only in communal areas.Restrict available content by using parental controls, accessed through your internet service provider (ISP).Restrict usage times for your child.30 minutes a day recommended maximum.Films certificate U, PG or 12, but use your own judgement about the content and it’s suitability for your child.No 15 certificate films.No screen use when friends are around.Engage in a dialogue with your child. Help them co-create boundaries and rules within your home.Discuss Social Networking Sites (SNS) with them. How do they use them? Who can see their information?

Upper School Classes 9 – 12One and a half hours per day maximum.Ensure screen entertainment is only in communal areas.Ensure use of screens is distinct to one task; it’s being used for homework now, and for entertainment later. Don’t combine uses.Switch WIFI off after a certain time.Restrict available content by using parental controls, accessed through your internet service provider (ISP).Engage in a dialogue with your child. Help them co-create boundaries and rules within your home, which apply to all visitors; for example, no screens during meal times.Discuss Social Networking Sites (SNS) with them. How do they use them? Who can see their information?Be willing to play Taxi Driver in order to provide real social interactions and experiences, as opposed to virtual ones.

Closing thoughtsSome of the guidelines given above may feel too restrictive for some and not restrictive enough for others. Each family need to create a set of rules for themselves and you can use this document as a starting point. If your Kindergarten Teacher, Class Teacher or Upper School Sponsor feel that there is an impact on how your child is using Screen Based Media (SBM), they can work with you further as necessary.When creating your rules, please consider the impact they have on your child, as well as the community of children they are within. It is not just the impact on your child that these guidelines hope to help with; it is the impact on the children they learn and play with as well.